Page 46 of Noel
Chapter14
Holly
The Next Morning—Maplewood, NJ
I wake to perfect quiet.
The kind of quiet that feels heavy with snow and secrets.
It’s not a bad thing.In fact, it feels good.I feel good.
For a moment, I don’t move.The world beyond the frosted window is wrapped in white.
Blankets of snow are piled high across the trees and fences, the whole neighborhood swallowed in stillness.
Even the air feels different,softer somehow, like the universe is holding its breath.
Inside, the warmth of the fire lingers, faint but comforting.
And beside me, Noel’s arm is heavy around my waist, anchoring me to something solid and real.
I should feel awkward, maybe even guilty.But I don’t.
Instead, I feelsafe.
Happy even.
That word used to feel like fiction.A thing other people got to have.
But lying here in his arms, the low rumble of his breathing steady against my back, I almost believe in it.
Almost.
I shift just enough to look at him.
His face is softer in sleep, the hard edges of command smoothed away by the dim light.
There’s a streak of gray at his temple I hadn’t noticed before, and something about it hits me harder than I expect—he’s lived, fought, survived.
And somehow, he’s still capable of gentleness.
“Don’t fall for him,” I whisper to myself.But the warning comes too late.
Because I think I already am.
I close my eyes again, soaking in the warmth, the silence, the feel of his body pressed close to mine—when suddenly, a sharp buzz slices through the stillness.
My phone.
Somewhere near the nightstand.
The sound makes me jump.I reach over, half-annoyed, half-asleep, fumbling for it before it can wake him.
The screen flashes with a text, lighting up the room with a cold, blue glow.
Unknown Caller
You shouldn’t get so comfortable with the help, Holly.
